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Grand View University recently unveiled a new project, Lou Yacinich Stadium, with the help of head baseball coach Lou Yacinich as well as assistant coach Doug Brinker. Totaling $145,000, the renovation of the stadium included upgrades to the press box and stadium seating.

The time the project took from start to finish was “a lot longer than I had hoped for,” Brinker said.

The permit for the city was denied a couple of times, and when that was finally figured out, the weather came. Due to poor weather, the cement was laid at the very last minute. Once the cement was poured, however, the process went quickly.

“Literally two days later the steel showed up out of Texas,” Brinker said. “The crew started work on the stadium right away.”

Although this project had multiple setbacks, it is was ready for its opening day during homecoming weekend.

The company that constructed the baseball stadium was Southern Bleacher Company, a Texas-based company with an office in Waukee. Southern Bleacher had the stadium finished in about three weeks. 

An interesting detail about the stadium is that none of the money used in constructing the stadium came from the Grand View budget.

The project in its entirety cost $145,000. So far, over an eight-month period, $138,000 has been raised.

“There have been a total of 60 donors so far,” Yacinich said. 

“All of the money came from alumni, parents, and fans of the program.”

Forty-four of the 60 donors gave gifts of $500 or more. Individual donations ranged from $100 to $10,600.

“Fundraising went a lot faster than we thought it was going to,” Brinker said. “Once people found out about it, it was just a snowball effect.”

Several names were thrown around for the renovated stadium, but eventually, the choice was left up to Yacinich and his family.

“Yacinich’s family came to the decision of Lou Yacinich Stadium,” Brinker said.

For those looking to check out the new stadium, it is located behind the Johnson Wellness Center on the east side of the Grand View campus. Students, alumni, and fans will have to wait until February 2, however, to see the Vikings home opener at “the Lou.”